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Top 20 Movies of 2010 (#20-11)

2011-08-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

There are two things in this world: jealous wizards and hot sexy sex

I know what you're thinking... and it's one of two things:

1) Holy crap, you actually posted something on your blog!

or...

2) Holy crap, you finally posted part of your movie column that is about 6 months late!

or both...

As some of you already know, I have been in school over the past year getting my Master's Degree and some things had to be sacrificed. My blog was one of those activities that got axed out of my normal routine. Fortunately, my classes are over and I am happy to announce my return to the world of blogging!

Now if you were thinking about #2, I realize that these movies aren't really the movies you care about anymore. We're 8 months into 2011 and looking forward to ranking Captain America, Thor, and GL (Hal and I are on an initial-name basis). I understand. So, to catch up, I am posting the short-short version of the Top 20 Movies of 2010. No need for complete sentences. Let's just cut to the chase!

CUSTOMARY SPOILER WARNING... yada yada yada...

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Done with Dr. House

2011-05-28T17:19:00.000-07:00

House M.D. has been my favorite show for many years and I have watched it religiously since it first aired seven seasons ago. I have always related to and identified with House in many respects. I share his objectivist view of the world. I champion the truth over most things. I have an insatiable desire to be perfect. And I understand the pain involved and loneliness experienced when you stick to these principles without compromising. However, as my life's journey may have had some parallels to House's over the years, my desire to become better and improve my life has left a rift between the identification I feel today and the kinship I felt many years ago. In effect, I feel I have outgrown House.

WARNING: CONTAINS SEASON 7 FINALE SPOILERS!!!

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Movie Power Scenes: Super Scream

2011-03-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

Time Travel FTW!

I was watching the end of the old 70's Richard Donner Superman movie, and while we all tend to remember one of the biggest cop-out movie endings of all time, we forget about the scene that led up to the moment where Superman bafflingly defied the laws of physics. Up until that point the movie had done a good job about establishing how Superman, despite all of his great power, could not always save the ones he loved. Clark had lost his surrogate father early in life and now was faced with the loss of his new love, Lois Lane. Having been smothered and killed by earth rained down upon her by an epic earthquake, Superman retrieves Lois's lifeless body from her dirt-filled car. After standing over her and reflecting for a moment, Superman can no longer contain his emotion and frustration for not having been able to save her. The man who is gifted with all the powers in the world is rendered powerless. And in that moment of despair, that sense of helplessness that engulfs Superman transforms into rage. Superman unleashes a skyward yell of pain that I will confess might be the best death scream in the history of movies.

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Me and my 3G Data Plan(s)

2011-03-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

Want an iPad 2? Say no to the 3G option!

We are all accumulating countless wireless devices. While companies always try to sell you on the one killer solution that will fulfill all your needs, we find separate uses and utility for each device. We have our cell phones, our laptops, our tablets, our e-readers, and all of them want to connect to the Internet. Now with the 3G (and soon to come 4G) networks, we have the option to be online anywhere we go. Consumers experience this phenomena every day with their cell phones, but what about the other devices?

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The Worst Movies of 2010 (27-21)

2011-02-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

Why Liam? Why?!?!

The Oscars are on and I thought I should come back to deliver my annual movie column before the movie season is officially concluded. I know I haven’t written in a long time due to my return to school this year, but the movie column is the one column that I most look forward to. It would be morally deplorable not to submit my opinion on the year’s movie offerings. So with that, I give you the start of the annual Top 20 Movies of 2010 column – The Worst Movies of 2010.

As usual, the rules are that the movie had to be released in theaters in the 2010 award season timeframe. I did not have to watch the movie in the theater. In 2010, I saw 27 films. The worst movies of the year are therefore, movies 27 through 21. No, I did not watch Twilight or The Last Airbender, or any other abortion of a movie that was released in the last year because I am not a fan of paying to be tortured. However, I will gladly torture myself later when these movies air on cable. The movies appearing here are movies I wanted to see and ended up falling short – they are more disappointments. And here they are…

Another Reason Why Cops Freak Me Out

2010-09-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

The events of my drive home from Dana Point on Saturday night are bludgeoned into my brain due to an intensely peculiar meeting between me and a highway patrol officer. I keep replaying the encounter over and over again in my head and am still unable to make sense of it all. And when such an experience sets my mind ablaze with excitement, anxiety, or just sheer activity, the best way I can process said experience is to explain it away in written form. So, here we go...
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Inception Revisited - 2nd Viewing

2010-08-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to put it into words, but Inception was even better in its second viewing. From the first viewing sprang many questions and perceived inconsistencies in plot. I entered the theater for my second viewing armed with these questions, looking for answers. And guess what? I got them...

WARNING: Again... EPIC SPOILERS!!!! Do not read further unless you've watched Inception. You have been warned.

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A Needed Change of Perspective on Conflict Resolution

2010-08-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

It is a natural reaction for individuals to respond defensively to the conflicts in their life. We are programmed to protect our own ideas and beliefs before considering the possibility that we are wrong -- even when we are. As children we strive to protect ourselves and seek out to secure our desires. This attitude follows us into adulthood. People at our jobs frustrate us; our family members get under our skin. When they do, usually the issue becomes about how that somebody else violated us, how that somebody else fails to understand our perspective or recognize our stance's legitimacy. Then we put the responsibility of change on our opposition. The problem is, this approach solves nothing.
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Analyzing the Ending of Inception

2010-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, what Christopher Nolan accomplished with Inception was nothing short of genius. The many different interpretations of Inception's ending and their varying plausibilities will make its subject the topic of great thought-provoking discussions now and into the foreseeable future. So, let's dive in and take a look at what some of those interpretations are.

(UPDATE: Before or after reading, be sure to check out my impressions from my second viewing.)

WARNING: Incredible Spoilers ahead. This article will spoil everything! Please watch the movie first!
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LeBetrayal

2010-07-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'd like to play devil's advocate for a spell, and talk about LeBron's nationally-televised betrayal of the Cleveland sporting world. When an unfavorable act is perpetrated, the perpetrator should only be condemned if the act is committed with calculated malice. LeBron's planned one-hour television special seems to indicate some level of calculation. And anybody who understands the concept of empathy could have told you that any decision, other than Cleveland, would have resulted in a city-wide disaster in LeBron's home town. But did LeBron understand all the possible consequences of his actions? I am hesitant to say yes.
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Some Lesser Known Features of iOS4

2010-06-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

This Monday I was treated to the new iPhone iOS4 update that brought the glory of multitasking to my iPhone 3GS (and we can call it app-switching if Apple's version of multitasking really ruffles your feathers). While the "multitasking", folders, and touch-to-focus video are some of the more talked about upgrades, there are several more subtle enhancements I've noticed over the last several days of usage that I'd like to share -- many related to Bluetooth functionality.
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Why 3D TV Will Fail

2010-06-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

[UPDATE: One more reason added...]

The start of the World Cup marks the introduction of the first 3D channel to your channel guide -- ESPN3D. Its debut is the first of many steps in the big 3D rollout. Companies really believe that the 3D movie craze will translate into the home of the consumer. But I, and I don't think I'm in the minority here, believe that 3D television fad will fall on its big four-eyed face.
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Sex Education FAIL

2010-06-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Just when you start wondering why we have so many unwanted teenage pregnancies in this country, some of the reasons just happen to get thrust in your face. I recently overheard two mothers sharing their experiences regarding their preteen daughters and the topic of sex. The first lady lead with, "My daughter thinks that passionate kissing qualifies as sex." (Note that the lady flawlessly completed her delivery of this nonsense with an amused smile plastered across her face.) She inexplicably followed with, "I'd like to keep it that way."
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What Happened to LeBron James?

2010-05-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Bloggers and sportswriters alike have all been asking the same question over the last several days, What happened to LeBron James? Some have questioned his heart. Some have questioned his ability to perform in big games. Some say he lacks that killer instinct required to win an NBA title. I'm not sure this is the case. Most discussions regarding LeBron's puzzling playoff performance -- while heavy on the WTF -- have been strangely overlooking the injury factor. In fact, I believe the injury to LeBron's shooting elbow to be the most significant contributor to LeBron's bizarro playoff performance.
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Navigating the Gujarati Family Tree

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

I love it when you call me Mota Bapuji

As my imminent introduction into Shivy P's family grows ever closer, I have been learning about Gujarati family relation naming conventions. Of course, such knowledge will grant me the ability to call various family members by their correct titles. This is a different concept to me given that I don't always attach the proper relation when calling out my own relatives names, especially as I get older. However, in Indian culture, the proper relation is always appended to the end of the first name. And I almost forgot to mention... the complexity of the Gujarati relation names is bananas.
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UPDATED: Shivy P, Will You Marry Me? (A Proposal Completed)

2010-05-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: She said yes. I don't have to tear the site down. You can relax.

The title is pretty self-explanatory. And now, a quick FAQ!

Q: Is this for real?

A: Yes, this post is part of a real marriage proposal.

Q: Does Shivy P know? What did she say?

A: No, Mayor Shiviani is unaware of this proposal as of this posting. She will find out when she reads this like you did.
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Deviating From The Formula

2010-04-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, my family and I would frequently hit up the Arby's located in the North County Fair mall. My brother, dad, and I would always load our stomachs up with two Beef 'n Cheddars -- and perhaps an occasional milkshake -- and we would be content for the remainder of the day. It is because of these memories that I hold a special place for Arby's in my heart (and stomach), and why I stick to my guns even when some of my friends bombard me with their "Friends don't let other friends eat Arby's" mantra. But recently my rare trips to Arby's have been met with much disappointment. The Beef 'n Cheddar has not tasted like the Beef 'n Cheddar I remembered for some time, and I did not know the reason for the discrepancy until today.
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New Adulthood Friends

2010-04-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

Adulthood brings many transitions, one being the transition from companionship via friendship to romantic relationships. This transition drastically changes the dynamics of friendship and its "courtship" as the playing field for male friends decreases significantly. In fact, fostering new adult male friendships is difficult at best and impossible most other times -- at least, when holding on to the old definitions of male friendship.
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Golden Age of Children's Movies

2010-04-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Just an observation today. I walked out the wonderfully awesome and heart-string-pulling How To Train Your Dragon Sunday afternoon and stopped briefly to marvel at the wide array of quality movies being released for young audiences today. The sheer volume of quality children's films that cut the mustard is rather remarkable. In fact, I am envious that I did not have such a lineup growing up (no, I did not dig on the old school sing-song Disney features of the late 80s and early 90s). The situation is even better for parents with these movies learning how not to patronize children but appeal to them and adults equally with universally resonating themes and content. We are truly experiencing a Golden Age for children's movies.
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Eliminating Your Blind Spots

2010-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

So much useless information...

It always puzzles me when convention teaches us the non-optimal way to do things. Take for instance, your rear-view and side mirror setups in your car. Convention teaches us to setup the mirrors so that you can see the side of your car in each side-view mirror. I'm not sure why convention settled on this agreed-upon setup. The most obvious flaw of this conventional mirror arrangement is that your side mirrors provide no new information. The images reflected by the side mirrors can be seen in your rear-view mirror and are therefore redundant. It's no wonder I previously got little to no use out of my side mirrors. So, when my friend turned me on to an article that teaches how to setup your mirrors to eliminate your blind spots, I had to test it out.
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Going Gaga

2010-03-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I understand this either...

Usually when I browse through various radio stations, I find myself welling with contempt and disgust when I stop on certain pop music stations. I can't stand the music for several reasons, some of those being the general lack of creativity, talent, and meaningful content. However, lately my ears have been hearing something different, and some popular music is actually tickling my fancy. I am having trouble explaining this phenomena, so I will attempt to explore the reasons here.
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My New Obsession: Bad Company 2

2010-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Virtual Hurt Locker - Online War is a Drug

The main reason I've been inexplicably absent from the Blogosphere over the last couple weeks is simple -- Battlefield: Bad Company 2. To say I am addicted to this game would be an understatement. Quite simply, it boasts one of the best multiplayer experiences I have ever played. I cannot stop playing. Frankly, I cannot stop thinking about playing. And with my professional life getting increasingly hectic/stressful over the last couple months, Bad Company 2 provides the perfect stress release. With nothing else on the brain, did you expect me to write about anything else?
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Krausology Facelift

2010-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the good work being done at Blogger, their new template designer UI has facilitated a major facelift here at Krausology. No longer will I have to mangle existing blogger templates via archaic html manipulation methods in order to achieve my vision of fine website design. Check it out and let me know what you think!

A Whole New Uverse

2010-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend marked the end of the Time Warner era in the Kraus House. Mere weeks after my building was hooked up and made AT&T U-verse-capable, the technician finally arrived on Saturday -- cable boxes and modem in hand -- for installation. I've had a day or so to play around with the features of AT&T U-verse, and here is what I've found so far.
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DR FATTY: Famous Again, Master of High Fives

2010-02-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

My now twice famous brother is making the rounds on the interwebs again with his research. Given that this site is titled Krausology -- the study of all things Kraus -- it only makes sense that my brother's research be gloriously pasted all over this website.

The research itself addresses NBA players and the effect of positive touch during games. The frequency of genuine high-fives, chest bumps, butt slaps, fist bumps, and hugs were shown to correlate with team success. Logically, the study makes perfect sense. Positive touch implies good team chemistry. Good team chemistry will translate into a higher level of play. A higher level of play translates into more success (wins) than would have been achieved without the positive team chemistry. It's great to see a study like this reinforce good team play.
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